


The Easiest Thing in the World

by PeterHaleforAlpha



Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-23 20:28:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8341576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeterHaleforAlpha/pseuds/PeterHaleforAlpha
Summary: After the Troubles Vickie starts to teach art again and meets there a girl called Lisa.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [x103femke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/x103femke/gifts).



> I know the prompt was fluffy but I hope Hurt/Comfort is okay too ;)

“Bye, Vickie, till next time,” one of her students said goodbye before leaving the room.

Vickie smiled at her and waved. Since two months she gave art lessons at the Haven Community Arts Center again  - only in the evenings though. She couldn’t leave Gloria and the baby. She really loved this old lady and her work in the medical examiner’s office. But it gave her something back that she thought she had lost forever.

Before she left herself she scanned the room for any last people and noticed that the new girl was still sitting in her place. It was the third time she was here now. So far she had been quiet, only introduced herself, nothing more. 

Vickie went over to her. “Lisa, right?” 

Lisa startled at the voice and shifted away a little. Feeling that Lisa was uncomfortable Vickie took a little step back. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. Just wanted to say that class is over.” 

“Oh, yeah, sure.” She reached for her bag on the floor, ready to move out. 

“Why are you here?” Vickie asked out of a sudden, noticing the white canvas in front of her. Of course she had noticed that Lisa hadn’t painted one line so far, not in any of the three classes, but Vickie was no one to push others immediately. She just assumed Lisa needed some time. Even Vickie had needed time. 

Three weeks actually. The moment the Troubles were gone Vickie was so excited, thrilled for a chance to paint her first picture, at least until she took the pen in her hand. Her fingers started shaking, bad memories haunting her. It took some time for Vickie to get past this. She was convinced that Gloria suggested to give Nathan a portrait of Audrey not only for Nathan’s sake but for Vickie’s too.

She just needed something to remind herself why she loved painting, and who made it possible for her to do it again. With Audrey’s image in her head it was so much easier to let the pen glide over the paper. 

And with every stroke and every little line Vickie felt more and more at home. 

So she understood if someone needed a little time after this nightmare but maybe Lisa could use a little push after all. 

Lisa only shrugged. “I thought I could try something new.” 

Vickie smiled reassuringly, grabbed the chair from the neighbour’s seat and sat down. “So you never painted before?” 

Lisa shook her head.

“That’s why you are so reluctant? You don’t want to do it wrong?” 

Lisa stayed quiet, looked to the ground.

“There is no right or wrong way to paint. Painting is something to express your feelings. You just take the brush, dip it in paint and let it glide over the paper. It’s the easiest thing in the world.” Vickie studied Lisa’s expression. There were dark shadows in her eyes and Vickie only knew them too well. There was something that was holding her back that had nothing to do with being afraid not to be good enough. “Let’s start slow,” she suggested then. “Take the brush in your hand.” 

Lisa looked at her, a sudden panic in her eyes.

“Okay, okay, then don’t.” Vickie tried to reach out to Lisa once more but she backed away again. It hurt seeing her like this although Vickie barely knew this young woman. “I was afraid to paint too, for several weeks. I loved to paint since I was a kid. There was nothing that brought me more joy. But the Troubles took it from me. It’s hard to find your way back but I’m sure you can do it.” She gave her an encouraging smile. 

“I couldn’t touch anything,” Lisa whispered quietly, not saying why, but it was a start. 

“Must have been pretty lonely.”

“I was terrified all the time.” Vickie could still see this fear inside of her although there was no need anymore. The Troubles were gone, nothing would happen. But the nightmares stayed, the memories weren’t forgotten. 

“Why did you come here?” Vickie repeated her question from earlier, tilting her head and staring at Lisa. 

Some long silent seconds went pass before Lisa took a deep breath. “I wanted to create something instead of destroy things and I’m really really bad with a hammer.” A little smile wandered over Lisa’s lips and Vickie took that as a win.

“Then let’s create something. Forget the brush,” Vickie said and grabbed the paint. “Just dip your fingers in it. What’s the worst that could happen with that?”

Lisa looked at the little bottle with paint, and it was clear that she was thinking about the worst case scenarios. Apparently she decided they weren’t so bad. Cautiously she dunked her index finger into it. Vickie did it too after Lisa had time to bring some space between them.

“And now we just put it on the canvas.” Vickie showed it to Lisa, making some fine lines which ended up to be a bunny. Lisa stared at Vickie’s picture before turning to her own white paper. Another deep breath later she moved her finger over the canvas. Vickie smiled watching her, seeing the joy in her face and recognized it as the same joy she experienced when painting Audrey’s portrait. The joy of realizing that you can make it past this nightmare. 

An hour later they were both standing at the sink, hands sprinkled with paint. “After you,” Vickie offered and Lisa smiled at her when she approached the sink and turned on the water. She rubbed her hands under the bubbling spurt of water. And rubbed and rubbed. The paint didn’t want to dissolve and that’s when Vickie realized Lisa was using cold water.

“What are you doing?” she asked incredulous and acted without thinking. Immediately she turned the tab for hot water.

“What are  _ you _ doing?” Lisa exclaimed and retreated her hand. “This is boiling.”

“Oh, don’t be such a melodramatic. It’s barely hot,” Vickie said with a smile and put her own hands underneath the water. “If it’s not hot enough the paint will never go away.”

“But I like cold water.” Lisa complained and turned on the cold tab. 

“It will take hours before you have cleaned your hands though,” Vickie argued and reached for the hot tab again, but was stopped by Lisa’s hand and suddenly she could feel Lisa freeze next to her. Her whole body went stiff, she even held her breath. Lisa’s words from earlier ghosted through Vickie’s mind.

_ I couldn’t touch anything _ .

Was this the first time she touched someone since the Troubles had ended? Cautiously Vickie wanted to pull her hand back but suddenly Lisa’s grip was tight and firm, not letting go. “What’s the worst that can happen?” she whispered.

Vickie smirked. “That we are stuck here till midnight because you only want to use cold water.” And with Lisa being distracted Vickie switched to hot water again. 

“You are a sneaky little witch,” Lisa commented with a grin on her face. 

Vickie pushed her hand under the water and still Lisa didn’t let go. “I just want to get out of here as fast as possible so we can still grab a drink?” Suddenly Vickie’s heart pounded like crazy and she only hoped she wouldn’t blush as well. This was embarrassing enough because Lisa surely noticed her nervousness. 

But she only smiled. “Help me with this paint and I will throw the first round.” 

Vickie beamed with excitement and immediately started to rub the paint of off Lisa’s hands. “Thank you”, Lisa said afterwards. “For this.” 

Vickie just shook her head. “You did it. You reached out in the end and didn’t let go.”

“It’s nice to touch someone again.” 

Vickie held out her hand. “Then let’s go.”


End file.
